Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America - the continents not only organize the world, they also stand for the diversity of nature and culture on Earth. But how did our planet actually become the way it is? ZDF is showing the six-part series “Unsere Kontinente” that explores this question to mark the 40th anniversary of the documentary series “Terra X”. Prof. Antje Boetius, director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, gives an overview of Australia and Oceania.
Why is the climate in Europe so favorable, while at the same altitude in Siberia there are five months of continuous frost? How do people manage to survive in Australia, even though the continent is the driest in the world? The series “Unsere Kontinente” sheds light on the origins of our continents and the natural factors that shaped and changed them. Each of the six films looks at specific features such as geology, climate, or settlement.
Antje Boetius on Australia and Oceania
No other continent is as far removed from everything else as Australia and Oceania. It was formed 50 million years ago, when the last continent so far broke apart, into Australia and Antarctica. Antarctica freezed over and Australia drifted north, becoming the driest continent on Earth. Antje Boetius provides insights into the diverse nature and culture of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.
The episode Australia and Oceania airs on October 30 at 7:30 p.m. on ZDF and can already be seen in the media library of ZDF.
Further information:
Interview with Antje Boetius for "Unsere Kontinente"